Coco Gauff’s build-up to the Australian Open came to an end with the USA exiting the United Cup.

It was a solid showing from Gauff and her teammates, but they ultimately fell short against a strong Poland side.

Even though Gauff extended her winning streak over Iga Swiatek to four matches, it was not enough for Team USA, as Poland advanced in the end.

Gauff did, however, claim a singles win that offered some hope for her side. Now it is back to Melbourne for one of the biggest events on the tennis calendar.

This will be an early test of her 2026 season and whether she can carry any momentum into the first Grand Slam of the year.

Coco Gauff speaks out after USA’s exit from United Cup

Gauff addressed the team’s defeat on X soon after the final whistle, making it clear she was not ready to move on from the tournament just yet.

The USA had fallen short in their title defence, and for her, that was hard to take.

She followed up with a message: “Gave it my all today… thank you for the support. Always an honor to compete in this event and for a team. We’ll do better next time! #TeamUSA”.

Her victory over Swiatek was a significant moment, especially as she looked to validate the work put in during the off-season.

The question now is whether she can carry that form into Melbourne and continue to find ways past top players under Grand Slam pressure.

Coco Gauff’s head-to-head record against Iga Swiatek is looking a lot more competitive these days

Given how long Gauff has been on the scene, it is easy to forget she is still so young.

She has not always been the player we see today. It took time for her to grow into the top-level talent she is now.

Early in her career, Gauff had a rough start against some of the game’s biggest names, and that showed up in her head-to-head records.

Swiatek was a prime example. She lost 11 straight matches before turning things around.

Lately, though, the 21-year-old has started to change that narrative. She has taken their last four meetings and even won eight consecutive sets during that stretch.

The overall record still leans heavily toward Swiatek at 11-4, but the way things are trending, that gap might not stay so wide for much longer.